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Board approves elementary boundary changes; families may stay at current schools under grandfathering
Summary
The board adopted a set of elementary boundary adjustments to take effect for the 2025–26 school year to address long‑standing misalignments and student transfers; families affected will receive notifications and may remain at their current school via an intra‑district transfer.
The Amador County Unified School District Board of Trustees voted to approve a set of elementary school boundary changes designed to align attendance areas to current neighborhood patterns and reduce long‑standing informal transfers.
District staff said many elementary boundaries had not been adjusted for roughly 40 years, creating situations in which families frequently sought transfers or otherwise chose different schools. The presentation showed neighborhoods and eight specific boundary areas to be adjusted; staff said most changes were incremental and reflected residential development since the prior boundaries were drawn.
Chief Operations presenter Mr. Critchfield summarized the plan and said the changes are intended to be implemented for the 2025–26 school year. He said families living in areas moved by the change will receive notice and that any student currently attending a school that will no longer include their residence will be offered the option to remain at that school via a district‑authorized intra‑district transfer. Critchfield said sites will maintain a documented paper trail of intra‑district transfers granted due to the boundary change.
Critchfield described an example area where routes and neighborhood development led to students attending a school that is geographically less direct; the boundary change was intended to reflect existing attendance patterns, reduce transfer paperwork over time and improve transportation efficiency.
Board members asked whether the changes will require families to sign new forms. Staff said the district will notify families directly and handle transfer paperwork; they emphasized no student will be physically moved without notification and a transfer process. Transportation staff have been consulted and district staff said the revisions will modestly improve routing efficiency but will not solve the district’s ongoing shortage of bus drivers; a broader transportation review will be presented at a future meeting.
A community meeting held earlier drew limited attendance, staff said, but questions raised there were incorporated into the plan. The motion to adopt the boundary changes included a grandfather clause allowing existing elementary students to remain for the remainder of their elementary experience; the board approved the item by roll call.
Votes at a glance: Elementary boundary changes (item 14.3) — Approved (roll‑call yeses; motion moved and seconded).
